Designated map luminaires

Abstract

Various implementations disclosed herein include a method of providing indoor navigation services. The method may include transmitting, via light-based communication (LCom) signals by each of a first plurality of luminaires, identifiers assigned to each of the plurality of luminaires, and transmitting, via LCom signals by a second plurality of luminaires, mapping information associating the identifiers of each of the first plurality of luminaires with a location of each of the first plurality of luminaires. The first plurality of luminaires may transmit the LCom signals towards the ground of an indoor environment while the second plurality of luminaires may transmit the LCom signals towards the ceiling of the indoor environment and are reflected downwards.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of receiving indoor navigation services, comprising:
 capturing, at a computing device, an image comprising light emitted by a plurality of luminaires, wherein a first luminaire in the plurality of luminaires transmits a first identifier encoded in a first light-based communication (LCom) signal and a second luminaire in the plurality of luminaires transmits mapping information encoded in a second LCom signal, the mapping information associating the first identifier with a location of the first luminaire; 
 defining, by the computing device, a first portion of the image that includes light emitted by first luminaire; 
 decoding, by the computing device, the first LCom signal from the first portion of the image to obtain the first identifier; 
 subtracting, by the computing device, for each raster line in the image, light from the first LCom signal to obtain light from the second LCom signal; 
 decoding, by the computing device, the second LCom signal to obtain the mapping information; and 
 determining, by the computing device, a location of the computing device based on the first identifier and the mapping information. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first luminaire transmits the first identifier at a first data rate and the second luminaire transmits the mapping information at a second data rate slower than the first data rate. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image comprises light emitted directly from the first luminaire and light emitted by the second luminaire and reflected from a surface. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image further comprises light emitted by a third luminaire in the plurality of luminaires that transmits a third identifier encoded in a third LCom signal, the method further comprising:
 defining, by the computing device, a second portion of the image that includes light emitted by third luminaire; 
 decoding, by the computing device, the third LCom signal from the second portion of the image to obtain the third identifier; 
 subtracting, by the computing device, for each raster line in the image, light from the first LCom signal and the third LCom signal to obtain the second LCom signal; and 
 determining, by the computing device, the location of the computing device based on the first identifier, the third identifier, and the mapping information. 
 
     
     
       5. An indoor navigation system, comprising:
 a first plurality of luminaires, wherein each of the first plurality of luminaires is configured to transmit an associated identifier via light-based communication (LCom) signals; 
 a second plurality of luminaires, wherein each of the second plurality of luminaires is configured to transmit mapping information via LCom signals, the mapping information associating the identifiers of each of the first plurality of luminaires with a location of each of the first plurality of luminaires; and 
 a computing device configured to determine a location of the computing device by:
 capturing an image comprising a first LCom signal emitted by a first luminaire in the first plurality of luminaires and a second LCom signal emitted by a second luminaire in the second plurality of luminaires; 
 defining a first portion of the image that includes light emitted by first luminaire; 
 decoding the first LCom signal from the first portion of the image to obtain a first identifier of the first luminaire; 
 subtracting, for each raster line in the image, light from the first LCom signal to obtain the second LCom signal; 
 decoding the second LCom signal to obtain the mapping information; and 
 determining, by the computing device, a location of the computing device based on the first identifier and the mapping information. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of luminaires transmits the identifiers at a first data rate and the second plurality of luminaires transmits the mapping information at a second data rate slower than the first data rate. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first plurality of luminaires transmits the LCom signals towards the ground of an indoor environment; and 
 the second plurality of luminaires transmits the LCom signals towards the ceiling of the indoor environment. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the computing device directly receives the LCom signals from the first plurality of luminaires, and indirectly receives the LCom signals from the second plurality of luminaires via reflection from the ceiling of the indoor environment. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the computing device receives the LCom signals transmitted by the first plurality of luminaires via a first image capture device or sensor, and receives the LCom signals transmitted by the second plurality of luminaires via a second image capture device or sensor. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 5 , wherein a first subset of the second plurality of luminaires transmits general mapping information and a second subset of the second plurality of luminaires transmits detailed mapping information. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the mapping information is divided into a plurality of portions of mapping information and the second plurality of luminaires is configured to transmit each of the plurality of portions of mapping information a predetermined number of times.